Our Lady of Czestochowa

Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the Vatican’s nuncio to the Baltic states, gives an exclusive interview to EWTN News in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Jan. 20, 2026. Credit: Tim Hotzelmann/EWTN News.

Jan 23, 2026 / 06:27 am (CNA).

Archbishop Georg Gänswein says last year's change of popes has brought a "whole new positive dimension" to the Vatican.

"Above all, there has been a change for the better in the atmosphere" with Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican’s nuncio to the Baltic states and Pope Benedict XVI's former secretary told Rudolf Gehrig of EWTN News during a Jan. 20 interview in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Gänswein said he met Leo twice last year, most recently in mid-December.

"Both meetings went very, very well. And the intervening period has made it very clear to me that — to put it somewhat idiosyncratically — normality is slowly returning," he said, calling it a sign for him that "faith and the Holy Spirit are indeed at work."

"I used the term normalization. For me, it is important to see that Pope Leo has simply emphasized some matters that are not new, but which have been completely overlooked in recent years."

Gänswein has been nuncio to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, based out of Vilnius, since 2024. The archbishop’s diplomatic post follows 17 years as the personal secretary of Pope Benedict XVI and 11 years as the Vatican’s prefect of the Papal Household.

The nuncio, originally from Germany, also praised Leo's "clear line when it comes to proclaiming the faith," which he does "joyfully and convincingly."

"When you read his catechesis or sermons, you can sense that this is a man who lives and proclaims the faith with an Augustinian spirit," Gänswein said.

German Synodal Way

The archbishop also addressed the Synodal Way in Germany, also known as the Synodal Path, which is set to hold its sixth and final assembly starting Jan. 29.

Gänswein expressed concern that the process will lead to deeper division in society and the Church, and underlined that any possible reforms must always adhere to established Church teaching.

"Anyone who has followed the events surrounding the Synodal Path from the beginning to the present day can see one important thing, namely that a number of the demands of the Synodal Path lead away from the faith," he said.

"There is no doubt that there is indeed a need to change and reform certain things here and there. I agree with that," the nuncio said. "However, what has been shown so far on the Synodal Path is, for me, clear evidence that this is not about a return to a deepening of the faith, but about a watering down of the faith."

He said any changes cannot differ from the Catholic Church's position on morality, ethics, the sacramental structure of the Church, or the official authority of bishops.

"I can only hope and pray that this wrong path will simply come to an end soon," he added.

Bishop James D. Conley of the Diocese of the Diocese of Lincoln Nebraska, celebrates Mass at the National Prayer Vigil for Life at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Jan. 22. | Credit: EWTN

Jan 22, 2026 / 22:17 pm (CNA).

Thousands of young Catholics gathered at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Jan. 22 to worship at a vigil Mass on the eve of the March for Life.

“Our goal is not only to make abortion illegal,” Diocese of Lincoln Bishop James D. Conley said during the homily. “Our goal is to make abortion unthinkable.”

More than 5,000 people — many of whom are high school or college students — filled the upper church of the basilica to attend the Mass. Following Mass, many worshippers prayed at the National Holy Hour for Life, which was held in the crypt of the basilica during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which included praying the Luminous Mysteries of The Holy Rosary.

The Jan. 22 service marked the 47th straight National Prayer Vigil for Life held at the basilica, which it began hosting in 1979 — six years after the Supreme Court decided Roe V. Wade. The Thursday night event marks the fourth post-Roe vigil.

The first reading came from Isaiah 49, in which the prophet wrote: “Before birth the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.”

In his homily, Conley referred back to that reading a few times, and expressed joy at the number of young people who attended the vigil with the goal to “build a culture of life and a civilization of love, where babies are protected in their mothers’ wombs and women are loved, heard, and cared for when they find themselves faced with very difficult and life-changing decisions.”

The bishop noted that there are many threats to the dignity of the human person prevalent in society, including euthanasia, gun violence, the death penalty, the suffering of the poor and of migrants, racism, and a lack of access to health care and education.

“But our brothers and sisters in the womb are the most vulnerable and the most voiceless,” he said, noting that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has labeled the issue its preeminent priority in terms of political concerns.

Even after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Conley noted there are still over one million abortions annually. Yet, he expressed hope that the young people in front of him “are the pro-life generation” and will help bring an end to abortion in the United States.

“I firmly believe that 50 years from now when my generation will have gone to God, your grandchildren will ask you: ‘Is it true, that when you were my age, they put children to death in the womb?’” Conley said.

Conley was the main celebrant of the Mass, but it was concelebrated by Cardinal Robert McElroy of the Archdiocese of Washington; Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Boston; Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States; and other archbishops, bishops, and priests.

Pierre, at the start of Mass, read aloud a note offered by Pope Leo XIV to attendees of the vigil, in which the pontiff assured participants of his “spiritual closeness” as they gather “for this eloquent public witness to affirm that the protection of the right to life [is the] ... indispensable foundation of every other human right.”

According to the note, Leo told participants that they are “fulfilling the Lord’s command to serve him in the least of our brothers and sisters” and bestowed an apostolic blessing on them.

Many attendees traveled from other parts of the country to worship at the Jan. 22 vigil and attend the Jan. 23 March for Life.

Miriam Ware, who is 16 years old, flew from Idaho with a local group called Teens for Life, and told EWTN that she has become “very interested in becoming a pro-life advocate.”

She said she has attended the Idaho March for Life, but this is the first time she has come to the national March for Life in Washington, D.C. and enjoys seeing “how united we are” as a pro-life movement: “Just to see everyone here is awesome.”

Gus Buell, a Catholic high school junior from Traverse City, Michigan, told EWTN that he arrived on Thursday after a 13-hour bus ride and will be attending the March for Life for the first time on Friday.

He said the march helps build up the Catholic and pro-life community, and commented on the large number of young people active in the faith and the movement, saying “kids are finally starting to be inspired” and many are “trusting God more than they trust themselves.”

The March for Life drew about 150,000 people last year. The 53rd March for Life is on Friday, Jan. 23. The March for Life rally will be held on the National Mall from 11 a.m. until about 1 p.m., after which attendees will march past the U.S. Capitol and conclude in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building.

Credit: roibu/Shutterstock

Jan 22, 2026 / 18:30 pm (CNA).

The abortion issue will likely be on the ballot in several states this November.

EWTN News took a look at which states have abortion-related measures in the works or on the ballot. 

Four states might vote to create a right to abortion this November. Only one state has a measure to protect life.

Virginian lawmakers add abortion to the ballot

This November, Virginians will consider an amendment to enshrine a fundamental right to abortion in the state constitution. The amendment, if passed, could jeopardize already-existing laws protecting unborn children as well as Virginia’s parental notification law.

The proposed abortion amendment would create a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.”

Virginia lawmakers approved the amendment for a second time earlier this month, guaranteeing that it will be on the ballot. Virginia Catholic bishops promptly condemned the amendment, saying they “will fight” against its passage.

Virginia protects life after 28 weeks of pregnancy, meaning that abortion is legal until the end of the second trimester and after in cases of serious risk to the woman’s health or life.

Nevada looks to confirm abortion amendment

Nevada is close to approving an abortion amendment that would recognize a right to abortion.

The amendment would establish a “fundamental right” to an abortion, “without interference by state or local governments” up to viability, and up to birth for the sake of the health or life of the pregnant mother.

In Nevada, the state constitution can be amended only after two affirmative public votes in consecutive even-year elections. About 64% of Nevadans voted in favor of the amendment in 2024, so a 2026 passage would enshrine the amendment. 

Abortion since the 1990s has been legal until the 24th week of pregnancy in Nevada. In addition to reinforcing pro-abortion laws, the new amendment could block other state laws including the parental notification requirement for minors seeking abortions.

Idaho gathers signatures for abortion ballot measure

In Idaho, a measure to create a right to abortion may appear on the November ballot.

Campaigners are gathering signatures for the measure to legalize abortion until viability, when the baby can survive outside of the womb.

The measure guarantees “a right to make and carry out reproductive decisions, including a right to abortion up to fetus viability.”

Idaho law protects unborn children at all stages of pregnancy, with exceptions if the mother’s life is at risk.

Oregon measure could reinforce pro-abortion laws

A measure to affirm a right to abortion in Oregon may be on the November ballot.

The measure states that “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged … on account of sex.”

If passed, it would also affirm a right to contraception, in vitro fertilization, medical “gender transition,” and same-sex marriage. The measure would repeal a vestigial code in the constitution that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.

Oregon does not protect life at any stage of pregnancy, and the state funds abortion.

Potential ballot measure could repeal Missouri abortion amendment

In November, Missourians will have the opportunity to repeal a 2024 amendment that created a right to abortion in the state constitution. 

If passed, the measure would repeal the state’s constitutional right to abortion and allow for laws to regulate abortion. It would also codify parental consent for minors seeking abortion and prohibit gender transition procedures for minors.

The amendment would not protect unborn children younger than 12 weeks in cases of rape or incest. 

Abortion laws have been in flux in Missouri as the 2024 amendment was enforced amid legal challenges.

Blocked from the ballot: Montana’s push for personhood 

A Montana measure defining unborn children as persons is not on the ballot this year, despite efforts to pass it.

Despite Montana voters’ move to approve a right to abortion in 2024, lawmakers came close to approving the subsequent pro-life measure, which would have stipulated that the word “person” applies “to all members of mankind at any stage of development, beginning at the stage of fertilization or conception, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of dependency.”

The amendment would have required that “no cause of action may arise as a consequence of harm caused to an unborn baby by an unintentional act of its mother.”

The measure narrowly failed to pass in both the Montana House of Representatives and the state Senate in early 2025, receiving just less than the two-thirds majority needed for a measure to be added to the Montana ballot.

Credit: OlegRi/Shutterstock

Jan 22, 2026 / 18:00 pm (CNA).

As thousands gather for the March for Life — the largest annual pro-life event in the U.S. — supporters at home can “march” by sharing the pro-life message on social media.

The March Online for the Preborn encourages pro-lifers to post videos of an unborn baby as part of a “global statement for life,” according to a press release shared with EWTN News.

The goal? To get unborn babies trending.

“We know that thousands attend the annual March in D.C. but thousands more around the world can’t make it but still wish to make an impact,” Rachelle Mainse, a spokeswoman for the campaign, told EWTN News.

The campaign by Baby Life Begins invites social media users to post a specific video of an unborn baby in the womb.

“Every year there is a new March Online video that shares a strategic, powerful truth about the preborn that the world needs to hear,” Mainse explained.

“When pro-life advocates and organizations from around the world ‘march together,’ sharing this same video to their platforms, it’s effective in making a big statement online for life.”

“We want people to be scrolling their newsfeed and see it flooded with this same video,” she said.

The campaign is also meant to encourage people to speak up for life.

“We hope that this encourages many in their stand for life no matter where they live or what generation [they are],” said Robert Seemuth, founder and director of Baby Life Begins. “Knowing that you can be a voice for life brings encouragement; coaching how to do it shows it’s possible.”

“Part of the mission of Baby Life Begins is to equip the everyday person to be a voice for life,” Mainse said. “Being a part of the online march may be the first time someone is using their social media to be a voice for life.”

“Courage is imparted when you realize you can post to your God-given circle of friends a post about the sanctity of life that is professionally made,” Seemuth continued. “Fear is reduced when you know thousands of others are sharing the same post.”

“Pro-life work can feel lonely at times — so to feel the support of the global community is huge,” Mainse said.

“Through the internet we can march with advocates all around the world making a unified statement for life online,” Mainse said. “We have heard from people in Australia, Northern Ireland, and different parts of the States joining! Everyone can participate!”

One in 4 women have had an abortion, Mainse noted. “Chances are they have someone around them that has been affected by abortion or will face that choice,” she said.

“It is so important that everyone becomes a voice for the preborn — whether their circle of influence is thousands or just a few. Every voice matters and every person matters in the fight for life.”

“We hope this will inspire them to keep using their social media to share about the preborn,” Mainse added. “It is a powerful medium that changes hearts and lives.”

An unborn baby at 20 weeks — well within the second trimester, when dilation and evacuation abortions are commonly performed. | Credit: Steve via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Jan 22, 2026 / 17:30 pm (CNA).

A new poll released one day before the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., found that fewer than 4 in 10 Americans identify as “pro-life” rather than “pro-choice,” but more than two-thirds of Americans still support some limits on abortion.

The survey, released on Jan. 22, was conducted by The Marist Poll at Marist University and was commissioned by the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization. Pollsters surveyed 1,408 adults from Jan. 12–13.

When respondents were asked whether they identified as either “pro-life” or “pro-choice,” only 37% subscribed to the label “pro-life” and 62% called themselves “pro-choice,” with just 1% of respondents saying they are unsure.

According to the poll, 44% of Catholics identified as pro-life and 55% identified as pro-choice, but practicing Catholics were far more likely to be pro-life.

The pollsters found that 58% of Catholics who identified as practicing were pro-life, compared with 41% who said they were pro-choice. Only 31% of nonpracticing Catholics said they were pro-life, compared with 68% who said they were pro-choice.

However, the poll also found that the “pro-choice” label does not normally translate to abortion without any limits. Rather, about one-third of Americans find themselves somewhere in the middle.

According to the poll, only 32% of Americans believe that abortion should be available at any time in pregnancy, up to the moment of birth.

Meanwhile, 37% believe most abortions should be illegal, with 6% saying it should not be legal in any circumstance, 10% saying it should only be allowed to save the mother’s life, and 21% only supporting abortion when the mother’s life is at risk or when the unborn child is conceived through rape or incest.

Twenty percent of those surveyed said abortion should be legal through the first trimester and 10% said it should be legal through the second trimester. Overall, 67% want at least some limits and 57% want restrictions at least by the end of the first trimester.

The poll also found that 59% of Americans believe an in-person visit with a doctor should be required to obtain chemical abortion drugs, which federal law does not currently require. Just 40% said it should not be required.

A small majority, 54%, oppose using taxpayer money to fund abortion in the United States, while 45% support it. About 69% of adults oppose using tax money to fund abortions overseas and 29% support it.

About 63% support conscience protections for health care workers, saying they should not have to participate in an abortion if they oppose it, and 36% do not support them. About 84% said they support the work of pregnancy resource centers, which do not perform abortions, and just 15% said they oppose it.

“Despite the publicly heated debates about abortion, there remains a consensus of opinion on this issue among Americans,” Barbara L. Carvalho, the director of the Marist Poll, said in a statement.

“Americans believe abortion should be limited yet include exceptions for rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother,” she said. “Despite the changes in practice that have occurred since the Supreme Court’s landmark Dobbs decision, public opinion has remained consistent.”

Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly said in a statement that the poll shows “a majority of Americans support legal restrictions on abortion” and “a growing majority support pregnancy resource centers, which provide assistance to mothers and their children in their time of greatest need.”

“The Knights have supported vulnerable women and their children since our founding by Blessed Michael McGivney more than 140 years ago, and our commitment has never wavered. And now, we’re guided by the encouraging words of Pope Leo XIV, who recently mentioned in his ‘State of the World’ address, ‘life is a priceless gift’ and that, as Catholics, we have a ‘fundamental ethical imperative’ to ‘welcome and fully care for unborn life,’” he said. “The Knights of Columbus’ mission will continue to be guided by these principles until abortion becomes unthinkable.”

Pope Leo XIV addresses ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 9, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 22, 2026 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV addressed the 2026 March for Life on Jan. 22, sending participants “warm greetings” and urging them to bring about a society that “safeguards the sanctity of human life.”

The Holy Father’s message was published ahead of the March for Life being held in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23. This is set to be the 53rd year the annual pro-life observance has drawn hundreds of thousands of people to the nation’s capital.

Stressing that the protection of the right to life “constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right,” Leo said that society “is healthy and truly progresses only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and works actively to promote it.”

“In this regard,” Leo continued, “I would encourage you, especially the young people, to continue striving to ensure that life is respected in all of its stages through appropriate efforts at every level of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders.”

The pope prayed that Jesus would “accompany you ... as you courageously and peacefully march on behalf of unborn children.” Such advocacy, the pope said, is “fulfilling the Lord’s command to serve him in the least of our brothers and sisters.”

The pope extended an apostolic blessing to the march, saying he entrusted the advocates “to the intercession of Mary Immaculate,” the patron saint of the U.S.

The first pope from the United States of America, Pope Leo XIV — then Robert Prevost — was reportedly a marcher during at least one of the event’s earliest years.

Several other popes have addressed the U.S. March for Life in various forms such as via social media, though Leo’s message appears to be the first official letter directly from a pope and bearing his signature.

In 2023 Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Archbishop Christophe Pierre expressed Pope Francis’ gratitude for “the faithful witness shown publicly over the years by all who promote and defend the right to life of the most innocent and vulnerable members of our human family.” Pope Benedict XVI sent a similar letter in 2013.

Francis also tweeted in support of the march, as did Benedict XVI.

EWTN News’ coverage of the 2026 March for Life can be found here.

If you’re attending the March for Life, don’t forget to use #ewtnprolife on all your posts across X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!

Want to relive interviews and special moments from the march? Visit ewtnnews.com/watch and subscribe to youtube.com/@EWTNNews for full coverage.

Thousands march through the streets of Washington, D.C., for the 52nd annual March for Life on Jan. 24, 2025. | Credit: Migi Fabara/EWTN News

Jan 22, 2026 / 17:00 pm (CNA).

Thousands of pro-lifers will gather in Washington, D.C., for the 53rd annual March for Life on Friday, Jan. 23. Follow here for live updates on the march.

• Thousands will gather for the 53rd National March for Life in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Jan. 23.

• Festivities will kick off with a pre-rally concert at 11 a.m. ET on the National Mall. The rally at begins at noon ET and features a lineup of speakers including Vice President JD Vance.

• The crowd will depart from the National Mall at 1 p.m. ET for the march and will make its way to the ending point at the U.S. Supreme Court building.

Live Action President Lila Rose and Ethics and Public Policy Center President Ryan Anderson speak at a press conference on Capitol Hill on Jan. 22, 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Live Action

Jan 22, 2026 / 15:59 pm (CNA).

Live Action has sent an urgent memo to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging him to take the chemical abortion drug mifepristone off the market after an investigative report revealed extensive noncompliance with safety regulations.

The leading pro-life organization showcased a new investigative video at a press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday morning about Planned Parenthood’s routine violations of safety regulations in its distribution of the chemical abortion drug.

The investigative video and accompanying letter show Planned Parenthood’s failure to consistently confirm the gestational age of unborn children before distributing chemical abortion pills, as well as its failure to screen for ectopic pregnancy, placing pregnant women at risk of severe hemorrhaging and even death.

“We’re here to call on the administration and the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] to remove these lethal drugs from the market,” Live Action President Lila Rose said at the press conference. “They don’t belong on our market; they don’t belong flooding the homes of American families, destroying the lives of American children and harming and sometimes killing American women.”

Chemical abortion drugs “were illegally fast-tracked under the Clinton administration,” Rose said. “There have been regulations that have been stripped away over the years, and now we are dealing with mass death on demand being sent via our postal mail system, and it must end.”

“Mifepristone, used as an abortive agent, should no longer be allowed in the United States if our FDA wants to do its job in protecting the American people and protecting American children,” she said.

Live Action’s letter, sent to Kennedy as well as FDA Commissioner Marty Makary immediately following the Capitol Hill briefing, states that about 7.5 million unborn babies have died as a result of the chemical abortion drug since its approval in 2000.

The group’s investigation found several instances of Planned Parenthood staff failing to verify gestational age or provide ultrasounds before distribution of the chemical abortion drug. The abortion giant also dispensed the pills without screening or follow-up care, and staff were also recorded in multiple instances “minimizing potential risks and treating key safeguards as optional or secondary in the provision of abortion pills.”

The Live Action letter also reveals that Planned Parenthood staff repeatedly failed to check Rh status and were caught sending abortion pills to fraudulent addresses in order to circumvent parental notice. Staff also failed to require a medical history before distributing the drugs or to provide transparent information about symptoms, downplaying the amount of bleeding that could occur when taking the drug as well as symptoms that mimic labor.

“Planned Parenthood even says that taking the abortion pill is safer for the mother than ‘carrying to term,’” the letter states.

Live Action cited research by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) in its letter, which found that “10.93% of women experienced sepsis, infection, hemorrhaging, or another serious adverse event within 45 days of taking mifepristone — an adverse event rate at least 22 times higher than the ‘less than 0.5%’ rate reported in the FDA‑approved clinical trials.”

EPPC President Ryan Anderson also delivered remarks at the press conference, urging the Trump administration to review his organization’s report, stating “FDA data is decades old” and is based on clinical studies with “an ideal parent under ideal conditions.”

“Our data is from the real world,” he said.

Several members of Congress attended the briefing, including Reps. Michael Cloud, R-Texas; Mark Harris, R-North Carolina; Troy Downing, R-Montana; Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas; and Andy Biggs, R-Arizona.

Other speakers included abortion pill reversal protocol developer George Delgado and former Planned Parenthood clinic director Mayra Rodríguez.

“Today’s press conference and the release of this investigative video make clear that this issue warrants immediate and thorough review and action,” the letter stated. “Live Action requests that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration reevaluate the approval and current regulatory status of mifepristone, strengthen transparency and data collection, and remove this dangerous drug from the market.”

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock

Jan 22, 2026 / 15:05 pm (CNA).

Legislation supporting pregnant and parenting college students, as well as pro-life pregnancy centers that serve them, is moving through Congress this week as the 2026 March for Life gets underway.

The U.S. House passed legislation that would allow states to use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and other federal grant funds for pregnancy resource centers. The House passed the measure ( HR 6945) by a vote of 215 to 209 on Jan. 21. A Senate vote is possible next week.

Bill cosponsor Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, said: “In a pro-abortion culture of denial that dismisses unborn babies and trivializes the harm suffered by women, pregnancy centers affirm the breathtaking miracle of unborn life and the truth that women deserve better than abortion.”

Another measure scheduled for legislative action includes a bill ( HR 6359) sponsored by Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, that would require U.S. colleges receiving federal student aid to provide students with information about how to choose to carry pregnancies without sacrificing their education.

“This is an opportunity for the GOP to expose Democrats’ extremist views on abortion to the American people as well as love them both — mother and preborn child,” said Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, in a statement.

Newly introduced bills include a measure by Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, that would make it a crime to transport a minor across state lines to receive an abortion.

“Parents should not be kept in the dark if their kids cross state lines to receive an abortion. I’m proud to help introduce the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, which would take important steps to protect vulnerable minors and support parents,” Kennedy said in statement Jan. 21.

The bill would protect victims of child abuse as well as human trafficking, Kennedy said.

Sens. Ashley Moody, R-Florida; Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana; Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota; Steve Daines, R-Montana; Deb Fischer, R-Nebraska; James Lankford, R-Oklahoma; and Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, said they would cosponsor the measure.

A House version ( HR 4964) was introduced by Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio, in August 2025. Taylor welcomed the introduction of the Senate measure and said: “This bill will hold all parties accountable and ensure children are not taken advantage of. As states like California and Illinois promote abortions for all and keep parents in the dark about their child’s health, the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act will put parents back in the equation and protect the lives of both the child and the unborn.”

Lankford introduced a bill ( SB 6) on Jan. 15 that would set requirements for health care providers to provide care to babies born alive during botched abortions.

The bill says health care professionals must exercise “the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other children born alive at the same gestational age” and that they must be immediately admitted to a hospital. If a health care professional is found guilty of failing to provide lifesaving care, he or she could face criminal penalties, up to five years in prison, or both under the measure.

“No child should be denied medical care simply because they are ‘unwanted.’ Today, if an abortion procedure fails and a child is born alive, doctors can just ignore the crying baby on the table and watch them slowly die of neglect. That’s not an abortion, that’s infanticide,” Lankford said in a statement.

Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, speaks with host Abi Galvan during an interview on “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly” on Jan. 21, 2026. | Credit: “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly”/Screenshot

Jan 22, 2026 / 13:30 pm (CNA).

In her first year leading the March for Life, the organization’s president is reminding the pro-life movement that they “still have a lot of work to do” in the current political climate, three and a half years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

“Taking down the Roe regime of abortion-on-demand across the country was incredibly important,” Jennie Bradley Lichter, who became president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund in February 2025, told “EWTN Pro-Life Weekly.”

“But there are still way too many abortions happening in this country,” she said. “So that’s the No. 1 reason why we’re still marching.”

Tens of thousands of pro-life activists are expected to gather in Washington, D.C., for the 53rd March for Life on Friday, Jan. 23. The march, which drew out about 150,000 people last year, has been held annually since Jan. 22, 1974, one year after Roe v. Wade was decided.

The speakers will include Lichter, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Rep. Chris Smith, among others. President Donald Trump provided a prerecorded message to the marchers, which will be played during the pre-march rally.

Lichter said in the interview that the annual march “accomplishes three really important things for the movement that cannot be accomplished any other way.”

The first, she said, is “forming young people for pro-life mission,” noting that many attendees are “teenagers and with college students and people in their 20s.” Second, she said, it is “also a really important moment of refreshment and being reenergized, and a lot of people have shared that with me this year.”

Third, Lichter said, is “the public witness impact of having this many people gathered in the heart of our nation’s capital.”

“When you stand at the March for Life, you have the Capitol dome behind the stage, and then the Washington Monument behind the marchers,” she said. “You are right in the heart of the most powerful and important city in the world, and the city shuts down every year on the day of the March for Life.”

“The Lord gives us a chance to show the nation what we’re made of, year after year,” she added. “It’s so powerful.”

Political climate

As pro-life advocates gather in Washington, D.C., 30 states and the nation’s capital still permit abortion up to the 22nd week or later, with nine states allowing elective abortion through nine months until the moment of birth.

In 13 states, nearly all abortions are illegal and in four states, most abortions are illegal after six weeks’ gestation. Two states prohibit abortion after 12 weeks, and one prohibits abortion after 18 weeks.

At the federal level, Lichter expressed some concern stemming from the Trump administration, which was mostly focused on his comment that asked Republicans to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment during negotiations about extending health care subsidies related to the Affordable Care Act.

The Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal tax money from being spent on abortion, has been included in spending bills since 1976, shortly after Roe v. Wade was decided.

“The response to the comment about being flexible on Hyde was swift and strong from everyone,” Lichter said, referring to criticism of the comments that came from the pro-life movement.

“The truth is, we’re not going to be flexible on Hyde,” she said. “We can’t be flexible with an issue that implicates human life — the preeminent issue — abortion.”

“The Hyde Amendment is Pro-Life 101,” Lichter said. “It’s a baseline policy that has been in place for 50 years and that every pro-life politician knows is just at the very heart of what it means to be a pro-life lawmaker. So of course, we’re not going to be flexible on Hyde.”

Lichter noted that some people think abortion “might be a losing issue in the midterms” for Republicans in November, but she believes “that’s completely wrong” and “misreads the electorate.”

“There’s no data, no examples to support the idea that pro-life politicians have been losing elections since [the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade],” she said.

“They just haven’t been,” she said. “And there’s a lot of counter examples, of course, of really strong pro-life politicians who have put life at the center of their work, who have continued to win reelection.”

The March for Life rally will be held on the National Mall from 11 a.m. until about 1 p.m., after which attendees will march past the U.S. Capitol and conclude in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building.